Youngstown State 67, Cleveland State 66: Vikings falter in Youngstown

YOUNGSTOWN — The differences in viewpoints were stark Monday after standout senior guard Kendrick Perry and his Youngstown State Penguins secured a 67-66 victory over Cleveland State at the Beeghly Center.
Perry, a player-of-the-year candidate in the Horizon League, scorched the Vikings for a game-high 31 points.
His three-point play with 26.4 seconds proved to be the game-winner as the Penguins improved to 11-8 overall and 2-2 in the Horizon League.
“We stayed calm,” Perry said of YSU rallying from four points down in the final 1 minute, 34 seconds. “A good team like Cleveland State, you know they’re going to make a run. We weathered their punch.”
Perry came into the game averaging a league-high 21.1 points per game. He didn’t disappoint the home crowd, netting 12 points in the game’s final six minutes to lift his team to the come-from-behind victory.
CSU coach Gary Waters had an entirely different outlook on the loss that dropped his team to 10-8 overall and 2-2 in the Horizon League.
“We just gave a game away, gave it away,” Waters said. “It’s uncalled for. We’re better than that.”
On Monday, the Vikings were not better than that.
They were charged with 21 turnovers, which led to 28 YSU points.
Three of those turnovers came in the final two minutes as the Vikings were unable to hold the 66-62 lead they took on a 3-pointer by Trey Lewis with 1:34 remaining.
Sophomore guard Bryn Forbes topped the Vikings with 17 points. Lewis added 15 points. Marlin Mason chipped in with 10 points.
CSU jumped out to a 7-0 lead before the Penguins, turnover-prone in the early going, overcame their jitters and moved ahead, 14-13.
The Vikings broke away to a 28-19 lead at the 9:18 mark, only to have Perry lead a 24-9 run that propelled YSU to a 43-37 lead at halftime.
Perry piled up 14 of his 19 first-half points during that run. He made 6 of 8 field goals in the half while going 3-for-4 from 3-point range.
Lewis topped the Vikings in the first half with nine points.
The Penguins shot 56 percent from the field in the first half, the Vikings 54.2 percent.
CSU was strong to open the second half, going on a 9-2 run, capped by Mason’s left-handed lay-in on a baseline drive to recapture the lead, 46-45.
Forbes asserted himself as the second half unfolded. His 3-point play at the 8:26 mark put the Vikings ahead, 57-55. After a made free throw by Anton Grady, Forbes’ 3-pointer from the right corner upped CSU’s lead to 61-55.
The Vikings swing back into action Thursday, hosting Horizon League newcomer Oakland University at 5:30 p.m.

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About the Author

David has been a full-time writer with The News-Herald since 1984. He write about news, sports and entertainment, He served as president of the Television Critics Association from 1993-95. Reach the author at dglasier@News-Herald.com
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